Remember that moment you walked out of the hospital with a newborn? If you were anything like me, you were looking over your shoulder thinking, “Wait, are they really just letting me take this baby home? I have no idea what I’m doing!” -Pastor Brent Smith
No one truly prepares you for the volume of the screaming, or the fact that it can last all day. Some days, you feel like you’re elbow-deep in “mystery fluids” and haven’t had a moment to yourself in… (I can’t remember how long!) Then, before you can even catch your breath, they’re mobile. Suddenly, they’re running, falling, and trying to shove LEGOs up their noses. The anxiety shifts from “Will they sleep?” to “How do I keep this tiny, suicidal daredevil alive?”
The Toll on the Home Front
It’s not just about the kids, though. Children are adorable little “energy vampires” who can leave your marriage feeling like a secondary thought. Communication becomes brief, choppy, and usually involves shouting across a baby gate. Tensions rise, patience wears thin, and “romance” is replaced by “whose turn is it to change the blowout?”
How do we do it without losing our minds or our faith?
In our upcoming Sunday School class, we aren’t claiming to have every single answer, but we want to walk alongside you in the trenches. Our goal is to help you “train up a child in the way he should go” while keeping your head (and your heart) centered on Christ.
We will be diving into Paul David Tripp’s book, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. This isn’t just a “to-do” list. It’s a guide to finding practical tools and Gospel-centered peace within the beautiful chaos of your home.
When: Sunday at 10:45, Starting April 12th
Where: Library
How long is the class: 14 Weeks
Cost: $12 for a book
Come join us as we figure out how to guide our families toward Christ—one mystery fluid at a time!
Deepen Your Library
Depending on your current season, I would also recommend these resources to help you through the different stages. Every book has its strengths and weaknesses, but these are some well respected Christian parenting titles available.
| Category | The Goal | Resource |
| The Teen Years | Moving from a “battleground” mindset to seeing the unique growth opportunities of the teenage years. | Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp |
| Raising Boys/Girls | Practical wisdom for navigating the unique (and often baffling) differences between raising sons and daughters. | Bringing Up Boys / Bringing Up Girls by James Dobson |
| Digital Wisdom | A steady hand for making healthy tech decisions in a world that moves faster than we can keep up. | The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch |
| Foundational Basics | A thorough, scholarly, and deeply biblical framework for the serious student of parenting. | Equipping for Life by A. & M. Kostenberger |
| Teaching Theology | Equipping you to explain the profound truths of God in a way your kids can actually grasp. | Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware |
| The Heart of the Child | A classic guide focused on reaching the heart of your child rather than just managing their behavior. | Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp |
| Parental Growth | Direct, practical instruction and biblical rules for the day-to-day “how-to” of parenting. | The Faithful Parent by M. Peace & S. Scott |
| Spiritual Discipline | A look at the parent’s soul, showing how God uses our children to grow us in holiness. | Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas |